


The Only Living Boy in LA

by thalialunacy



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-05
Updated: 2010-02-05
Packaged: 2017-10-26 16:33:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/285466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thalialunacy/pseuds/thalialunacy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one with Bill Pullman.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Only Living Boy in LA

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer** : Obviously fictional content is FICTIONAL. Although Chris & Bill ARE friends, I'm fairly sure: heart-melting exhibits [A](http://pics.livejournal.com/thalialunacy/pic/0024e56q) and [B](http://pics.livejournal.com/thalialunacy/pic/002xpyyp)  
>  **Dedication** : For abigail89. Der. Consider it a belated birthday present, my dear. And, you know, forgive me my Bill. Not all of us are lucky enough to have met the guy. ;) ♥  
>  **Notes** : Just something I thought of in the shower. Gave me an excuse to start watching _Bottle Shock_ (a movie from 07/08 where Bill  & Chris played father & son) with commentary. ;) Thanks to [this site](http://www.chemistry.co.nz/kiwi.htm), lol. Title is obvs from Simon & Garfunkel's 'The Only Living Boy in New York'.

It's not very manly, to call and have a chat about feelings, but he realized about an hour ago, when he found himself staring at an old email with a goofy grin on his face like a fucking thirteen year old girl, that things are _far_ beyond the emasculation stage.

He checks the clock, wavers once about the time difference, then pushes the buttons anyways.

"Yello."

"Hey, Bill, it's Chris. Chris Pine," he adds belatedly, mostly jokingly.

"Oh, Chris _Pine_ , thanks so much for clarifying. I thought you meant the other Chris with the too-many-packs-a-day voice who calls on Tuesday nights to talk about nothing."

"You know another?"

"Thank God, no."

Their laughter rumbles across the time zones, then fades into an only slightly uncomfortable silence. Chris suddenly wishes this was middle school again so he'd have a phone cord to wrap around his fingers. He cracks his knuckles instead.

"You still doing that?" Bill chuckles at him.

"Yeah. You?"

A succession of slightly muffled pops give the answer. Chris smiles. Then Bill cuts right to the chase.

"So what's up, kid?"

"Does something have to be up to give my old man a call?"

"No, but it's late here, if you didn't notice, and not all of us are LA playboys that can sleep in until two o'clock. So out with it."

Chris hears the drama in his own sigh, and grimaces, but life's kinda got him by the balls. "I'm… having some… you know, relationship… trouble."

"You know, I was wondering."

"You've seen?"

"I've seen enough."

"You've seen enough."

"Yeah."

"What does that mean?"

There's a pause on the other end, and Chris can picture Bill making one of his Wise Thinking Faces. "Who is she?"

"I thought you'd seen enough to know that."

"No, I mean who is she that's got you running to all these other she's."

Chris winces. "Ah."

"Ah indeed."

"Is it that obvious?"

"To me? Yes. I don't know about anybody else."

Chris exhales. "Yeah, right, okay." Then he's not sure what the fuck to say.

"So what's the holdup? Is there a significant other on the other end?"

"Not anymore."

Bill makes a noise. "How long 'not anymore'?"

"Six months?"

"Hmm. Kids?"

"Does it matter?"

"That was my next question. So we can skip ahead. Someone you're working with?"

"Yes."

Bill doesn't ask what shoot he's on. There's another pause. Chris' chest feels tight. "Listen, it's no big deal, I'm sorry to call so late."

He can almost hear Bill's nod. "Sure. In a second. Just…" Chris waits. "Must be serious."

Chris almost laughs at the layers. "Yeah… Could be."

Bill takes in a deep breath, sighs it out, and his voice is at its gravelliest when he speaks again. "Not too many people know you like I do, kid, and trust me when I say, anybody would be lucky to have you." A pause. "A couple years ago I wouldn't've said this, but you can handle it now…"

Chris lets out a shaky breath. "Here comes..."

"No, I mean a couple years ago, you wouldn't've been able to handle the worst case scenario."

Chris' gut kind of twitches unpleasantly. It's the very idea he's been trying to shove aside for weeks. Months.

"But you can now. It'd be rough, but… You're a professional."

Chris doesn't quite know what to say. "…thanks."

"Just the truth."

Chris smiles into the phone, his gaze on the floor. "All right. Now go get your slippers on, Grandpa."

"Right. Go and… do something wild and crazy."

"I'm on it." He pauses. "Hey… thank you…you know…"

"'Course. Talk to you next week?"

Chris smiles. "'Course."

He pushes the hang-up button, then stares at his phone. Then he brings up the address book, scrolls down to the Ks, and stares at it some more.

Then all of a sudden it's fucking ringing, and Chris almost drops it. Then he sees who's calling, and almost drops it again.

Finally, he manages to push the right button. "Hey," he says, cursing himself for sounding ridiculously breathless. "What's up?"

Karl chuckles. "Is this a bad time?"

"Yes—I mean, no—I just—I was about to—" He squinches his eyes shut, hears Bill's voice in his head, exhales. "I was just about to call you."

"Oh!" That almost sounds like a smile. "Well, then, how serendipitous. Were you calling for the same reason?"

Chris' eyes fly open. "Uhh…" He searches for something to say, but his brain is phoning in Too Fucked Up today, clearly.

"Man, you are really not on your game tonight, are you?" Karl's teasing, but there's a hint of gentle concern in there, as always, and Chris' gut fizzles pathetically.

"I'm really not," he says wryly. "Got any suggestions?"

"Yes. My original plan of beer and pool is my suggestion."

Chris laughs with relief. "Yes! Yes, please, that sounds fucking perfect."

"Wonderful. Shorty's, half hour?"

"Let's do it."

He hangs up again, but this time when he stares at the phone, it's with a hopeful feeling in his gut, and an eye-crinkling smile on his face.

\---

Three Tuesdays later, Bill's had enough wondering. His voice booms over the phone. "So about that… 'she' business…"

Chris laughs. "Yes?"

"Did you put your back into it like I told you?"

Chris smiles. "Yes, sir."

"And did it work out?"

Chris looks over towards the kitchen, where Karl has disallowed him while he makes something dubiously titled 'greasies.' He runs a hand over the still-warm spot in the bed, and the smile turns into a grin. "You could say that."

 _  
**FIN**   
_


End file.
